Max Simpson

CO-FOUNDER AND CEO, STEPS

Industry : Advocacy

Max, with a background in education in the UK, particularly working with neurodivergent students and those in foster care, identified a need to raise awareness of employment opportunities for the neurodivergent community in Thailand. In response, they founded Steps, a team comprising job coaches, inclusion specialists, and trainees. Steps focuses on running education programmes and model businesses in Bangkok to equip young adults, including those who are neurodivergent, with the skills necessary to access fulfilling careers. Max''s notable achievement is opening the first research centre dedicated to neurodiversity in the workplace in Southeast Asia. This centre aims to share research findings with relevant organisations, inform policy decisions, and optimise the use of government funds to facilitate workplace inclusion. Additionally, the centre has established ongoing disability inclusion readiness partnerships with international hotel groups and multinational corporations. Inspired by their autistic son''s unique perspective on the world, which they find incredibly beautiful, Max draws motivation from various sources, including the film The Reason I Jump: One Boy''s Voice from the Silence of Autism by Naoki Higashida.